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Family Fun in Miami's Outback

Explore nature, learn about alligators and see the Everglades

Rating: 3 out of 5 by EveryTrail members

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: 25 miles

Duration: Full day

Family Friendly

Overview :
Before the subdivisions encroached, South Dade was known as "the garden capital of the world." Rich farmlands, hacked out of... more » oolite rock and watered by the Biscayne Aquifer, stretched to the horizon. About 35 miles south of downtown Miami, it seems worlds away in time and space once you travel west of US 1 across the wild open flatlands.

The landscape is still dotted with white clapboard houses, fruit stands, nurseries and fields worked by migrant workers, many of them Mexican. Here, too, you can find old-timey Florida attractions like the Coral Castle and Monkey Jungle with roots in the early 20th century.

No way to see all South Dade offers in just one day. Pick and choose from the points of interest on this tour according to your family's interests. With kids, we've found it's better to have options.

With an early start, you could see the Monkey Jungle and Coral Castle in the morning, stop in Homestead for a quick bite and then head to Robert is Here for a shake before spending the early afternoon at the Everglades Alligator Park. Then swing north again to relax at R.F. Orchids before heading back towards the beach. West of US 1, traffic is light and stop lights few.

You might also squeeze in the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo Trails at Royal Palm Center, just inside Everglades National Park for a good overview of the Glades. less «

Tips:
What to bring: Hats, sunscreen, insect repellant, water, a full tank of gas

What to wear: Winter days can be chilly by Florida... more » standards, but the rest of the year, dress for the tropics.

What the look for: Signs for the Historic Redland Tropical Trail, which will lead you to many of the points of interest on this guide as well as a bonsai farm, the southernmost winery in the US and Cauley Square, early cottages turned into boutiques and a tearoom.

How to get there: Travel south from Miami on US 1. Stop-and-go lights can be a pain, but you'll be going against the rush hour traffic both ways.The Florida Turnpike, a toll road, offers a speedier alternative -- under an hour -- from Miami to Homestead.

When to go: Locals favor the weekend when traffic is lighter on US 1 and the Bargain Town Flea Market and Redlands Farmers Market are in full swing at US 1 and 244th St. You'll think you've tripped over the border down Mexico way. The mercado has a little bit of everything. Plus, stalls and trucks offer up taco and other culinary treats. less «

Points of Interest

Back in 1933, Joseph DuMond, who loved monkeys, turned six crab-eating Java troop monkeys loose in a dense native hardwood hammock to study their behavior. An artist lacking the academic degrees to attract research grants, he raised funds for his research by opening Monkey Jungle. At first both humans and monkeys could roam free, but later the... More humans were caged under a protective wire fencing.

DuMond's family continues to run the attraction much as he did. Descendants of the original Javas have been joined by 29 other species. Educational shows and tours are scheduled throughout the day, but nothing beats strolling through the 30-acre (12-hectare) preserve just off US1 to spy on monkeys at their leisure and yours. It offers an intimacy few zoos can match.
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14805 SW 216th St.
Miami, FL 33170
Tel: (305) 235-1611

Between 1923 and 1951, Ed Leedskainin, a Latvian immigrant, created a monument to his lost love. Not just any monument but a castle constructed from more than 1,000 pounds (nearly 5,000 kilos) of coral rock he mined locally. Only five feet tall and weighing about 100 pounds, he worked all by himself with the most primitive of tools.

He fit... More his coral walls together perfectly without cement, created a 28-ton obelisk from one piece of coral and engineered the world's only sundial calibrated to noon of the summer and winter solstices.

How did he build this New World Stonehenge? All he would ever say is that he knew the secret of the pyramids. Since 1984, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places under its original name: Rock Gate Park.

British rock star Billy Idol filmed a video here in the 1980s, featuring "Sweet Sixteen," a song inspired by the sad love story behind Coral Castle. Ed's 16-year-old sweetheart stood him up at the altar back in Riga in 1913. She never saw the amazing testament to his one true love.
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28655 South Dixie Highway
Miami, FL 33033
Tel: (305) 248-6345

The first farmers began growing winter crops here in 1898, traveling down Homesteader's Trail from Miami, the only link until Henry Flagler completed his Overseas Railroad to Key West in 1912. Incorporated in 1913, it is the second oldest city in Miami-Dade County and on the National Register of Historic Places.

The old town hall, built in 1917... More, is now the Homestead Historic Town Hall Museum. displaying old photos like the one here. Kids will love playing on the 1924 American La France pump firetruck and with an antique dollhouse. Admission is free.

With its palm-lined streets and country flavor, it's a good place to pause for lunch in one of the Mexican restaurants, opened after migrant workers put down roots here. Or, if you are traveling with a picky eater, there also are plenty of kid-friendly fast-food chain restaurants around.

If you're in town in January, don't miss the three-day Homestead Rodeo, the southernmost rodeo in the nation. There's a parade through downtown followed by steer wrestling, bronco riding, the whole works.

Homestead Air Force Base, where more than 10,000 Army troops stood ready during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, was destroyed when Hurricane Andrew scored a direct hit in 1992. Officially re-designated as an air reserve base two years later, it still hosts occasional air shows.

Big attraction these days is the Homestead Miami Speedway, home of the final races in all three NASCAR series. Free general admission for kids 12 and under.

Robert is Here is indeed a fruit stand with all sorts of locally grown fruits and vegetables, but the big draw is the fresh-fruit milk shake menu. The key lime shake tastes better than the richest key lime pie. Yum! Get in line to order as soon as you get there. Then look around. You'll hear your number called when it's finally ready.

While... More you're waiting, shop for tropical fruits, jams, jellies and honeys. And take in the farm animal petting zoo, swings and splash park out back.

Nice stop on your way to or from the Everglades Alligator Farm or the Everglades National Park. Or better yet, to AND from after you've tasted a shake.

Not to be confused with Everglades National Park, which is a little to the southwest, this Florida attraction with an old-timey feel lets you and the kids get up close but not overly personal with alligators, snakes and other inhabitants of South Florida's "River of Grass."

The farm has educational alligator and snake shows, but the... More most exciting time is when more than 500 alligators that live in the fenced-off breeding pond crawl over each other to get to lunch.

You'll leave with a better understanding of how tiny alligators grow into big ones, and even the smallest child will get a kick out of holding baby alligators.

Don't miss the chance to skim over the surface of the Everglades in an airboat, a flat-bottomed craft with a giant engine and propeller mounted in a cage on the back. Whee!
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40351 SW 192 Ave.
Homestead, FL 33034
Tel: (305) 247-2628
Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

With about 1.5 million acres (roughly 600,000 hectares), this is the third largest national park in the lower 48 states as well as the largest subtropical wilderness in the country. You'll see more wildlife activity in the winter, swat more mosquitos in the summer. Outdoor activities include hiking, canoe and kayaking, biking, camping and fishing... More.

For a kid-friendly sampling of the Glades, visit the educational displays and orientation films at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center and then proceed to the Royal Palm Visitor Center, the first turn on your left after the park entrance station.

Handicap (and stroller) accessible, it has restrooms, water fountains. picnic tables and shade. The boardwalk Anhinga Trail (0.8 miles --1200 meters - round trip) never disappoints with wildlife -- including alligators pretending to be logs. The Gumbo Limbo Trail is a brief circuit through a shady jungle hammock. Both trails are self-guided.
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40001 State Rd. 9336
Homestead, FL 33034-6733
Tel: (305) 242-7700

Park open 24 hours a day.
Visiting Center: 9am-5pm, mid-April to mid-December;
8am-5pm, mid-December-mid-April.
Both park and visiting center are open 365 days a year.

Note: June through November is the wet season.

Admission
$10 per car, good for 7 consecutive days

Getting there: From Florida City, travel west on Palm Drive (State Road 9336/SW344th St.) and follow signs to the park.Less

The Fuchs family has been growing orchids in Homestead for three generations. As a boy, Bob Fuchs, president of R.F. Orchids, hunted orchids in the Everglades. Today he hunts them around the world, develops new strains in Thailand and wins gold medals at international orchid shows.

The orchid nursery makes a tranquil stop. You'll be greeted like ... Morehonored guests with a chilled citrus drinks and invited to wander through five greenhouses full of orchid beauties. The kids will be intrigued with the cockatoos and macaws on view.

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